Domestic Terrorism and the Religious Right
For those of us who missed the Paul Hill Days, the Re-Enactment of Paul's glorious and beautiful deed of whacking that babykilling abortionist on his way in to murder some more of God's beautiful babies can be seen on YouTube... I wrote at the time: Events like these are intended to remind abortion providers that there is a violent underground. But they should also remind the rest of society that there is an armed wing of theocratic activism, to which most turn a blind eye. Of course, the reenactment and the Army of God's promotion of the video is part of the wider climate of terror they seek to foment -- as Moiv detailed at Talk to Action. Paul Hill's murder of Dr. Britton followed by about a year, the murder of Dr. David Gunn, by a deranged young man named Michael Griffin, which followed an earlier arson at the same clinic. Abortion care provider Dr. William Harrison, wonders whether the recent series of arsons in New Mexico, might be a precursor to another round of murders. It might not happen of course. But that American citizens exercising their rights to recieve and to provide abortion care even have to have that thought cross their minds, shows that terrorism works.
Michael Griffin, who murdered Dr. David Gunn in Pensacola, FL in the first act of truly murderous violence, claimed to have been driven insane by the sermons he heard from his fundamentalist preacher and seeing the movie, Hard Truth at his church. Indeed. Anti-abortion activists like the Rev. Stephen Imbarrato, of the Catholic Project Defending Life (unaffiliated with the Archdiocese of Santa Fe), as quoted in the Albuquerque Tribune, often blame the victims of terrorism, not the terrorists, thus reenforcing the climate of violence. He told the Tribune that the arsons and vandalism make his mission more difficult:
"I was very dismayed, because, unfortunately, pro-lifers get blamed for these things. It makes our lives more difficult, and it detracts from our credibility," he said.... Hear that? Bombings, arsons and murder are the fault of doctors, nurses and support staff in medical clinics. Arsons at medical clincs are not crimes so much as a PR headache for Rev. Imbarrato -- who, btw, maintains a chapel right across the street from one of the targeted Planned Parenthood clinics. In the wake of the first arson, the Army of God said this: Good news out of Albuquerque. Babykilling abortion mill is burned, All Praise to our Lord Jesus Christ for this wonderful deed. I pray our Lord Jesus Christ keeps the identity of these two saints from being known and their apprehension will never happen. The National Abortion Federation notes that since 1977, there have been seven murders, 17 attempted murders, 41 bombings, 100 butyric acid attacks, 656 anthrax threats, and 175 arsons including this most recent incident in New Mexico. (And this was before the two Christmas attacks.)
Hello, America.
Domestic Terrorism and the Religious Right | 2 comments (2 topical, 0 hidden)
Domestic Terrorism and the Religious Right | 2 comments (2 topical, 0 hidden)
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